1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of drawer slide assemblies and relates more particularly to a bottom mounted drawer slide assembly, i.e. an assembly in which a fixed or cabinet channel is secured beneath a drawer opening and a movable or drawer channel is secured to the bottom of a drawer thereby, movably mounted in the opening.
2. The Prior Art
It is known to provide bottom mounted drawer slide assemblies in situations particularly where the drawer load is relatively small. Known constructions of the type described have typically included an internesting pair of channel members having antifriction means interposed therebetween. Certain constructions of the type described enable the drawer and its associated channel to be physically removed from the cabinet channel. The mechanism by which removal has been effected has heretofore included a frictional blocking mechanism whereby at the outward limiting position of the drawer the slide member will not move further outwardly unless the drawer is subjected to a pulling force substantially in excess of the force needed for sliding the drawer.
Such friction release slide assemblies are disadvantageous. Firstly, if the forces required to decouble such devices are insubstantial, it is possible by forcefully pulling a drawer outwardly inadvertently to overcome the frictional resistance to separation. In such event the rear end of the drawer will fall downwardly, dumping the contents of the drawer, with resultant disarray of the contents of possibly injury to the user. Conversely, if the frictional forces required for disengagement are unduly greater, it is even possible to damage the fastening connections between slide and drawer in the act of removing the drawer. If, in opening the drawer, the frictional connection between the drawer channel and bearing housing is partially decoupled, the drawer will not close completely with application of normal closing forces and the user will assume that the drawer is "stuck."